Fireproof building column assemblies



E. C. LALLY FIREPROOF BUILDING COLUMN ASSEMBLIES Dec. 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iled Nov. 12, 1963 YNVENTOR. DWARO c. LALLY M AT ORNEY Dec. 5, 1967 E. c. LALLY FIREPROOF BUILDING COLUMN ASSEMBLIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12,

.Y Y W MW N4 R W 0 m w w A A M E United States Patent Ofiice 3,355,852 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 3,355,852 FIREPROOF BUILDING COLUMN ASSEMBLIES Edward C. Lally, Palos Park, Ill., assignor t Fire-Trol Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 322,936 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-725) The present invention relates generally to structural building columns of rectangular cross section and has particular reference to a fireproof building column assembly of the type wherein a central or inner tubular steel load-bearing column is jacketed or surrounded by an outer non-load bearing tubular steel shell of rectangular cross section and an intervening mass of fireproofing material between the shell and the column. Still more specifically, the invention is concerned with the outer tubular steel shell of such a fireproof building column assembly, such shell according to the present invention, being made of a sectional nature and in a novel manner so that it may be erected or assembled in situ at the scene of installation.

Heretofore, the outer shells of fireproof building assemblies of the type under consideration have invariably been manufactured in the form of one-piece steel tubing, usually seamed tubing. Not only is such tubing expensive, due to the labor costs that are involved in grinding and smoothing out the seams where the side edges of the tubing-forming sheets are brought and welded together, but shipment of the outer tubular steel shells creates a space problem, especially in connection with the largersized shells, in that only a comparatively small number of them can be loaded into .a given space for transportation. Handling problems also are involved since the outer shells must be telescopically inserted over the inner columns with which they are associated at the time of installation. Finally, and by no means the least of the problems that are associated with the manufacture and use of outer tubular steel shells in fireproof building column assemblies, is the matter of stock inventory. The fireproof column assemblies which are used in the building industry vary widely in size, both as to height and lateral dimensions. Not even the most aflluent manufacturer can afford to keep in stock all of the several hundreds of sizes of tubular steel shells that are likely to be encountered on order, to say nothing of the contractor or jobber.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitations that are attendant upon the construction, shipment, storage and use of outer one-piece tubular steel shells in fireproof building column assemblies and, toward this end, it contemplates the provision of a sectional outer shell which is rectangular in horizontal cross section and is made up of four corner strips of novel design, together with four intervening flat rectangular wall-forming plates, the eight parts, when operatively assembled upon one another according to the present invention, providing a composite and complete outershell within which the fireproofing material may be introduced in the usual manner of fireproof column installation.

Specifically, according to the present invention, the corner strips are of right angle design and the exposed areas of the outwardly extending diverging side flanges thereof are made in two different multiples of a unit width. The wall plates are made in multiples of four units width. Thus, by selecting for inventory a relatively few standard sizes of corner strips and wall plates, according to the law of permutation, an approximately twenty-fold increase in the number of different sizes of outer shells over the number of parts on hand is made possible. Because of the fact that the wall plates are fiat, they are capable of being stacked upon each other. Because the corner plates are angular, they are capable of being nested together in connection with storage or transporta tion. Thus, where the larger-sized outer shells are considered, the shipping space that is required for the mate rials involved in the fabrication of .a given number of column assemblies is decreased literally a thousand-fold, insofar as the outer shells are concerned. Finally, according to the present invention, novel means are provided whereby telescopic placement of the outer shell over the inner load-bearing column is eliminated, this means enabling the workman to assemble the outer shell in situ over or around the previously fabricated inner column, the various corner strips and wall plates sliding into interlocking position at the scene of installation.

The present invention, in a modified form thereof, affords a novel means whereby decorative effects may be attained in connection with the installation of the outer shells of fireproof building column assemblies. The cost of solid stainless steel and other decorative outer tubular shells being prohibitive in many installations, it has heretofore been the practice to apply a veneer of light gauge decorative sheet metal, such as stainless steel, treated aluminum or enamel-coated and baked metal, to the outer surfaces of previously erected outer shells, the veneer being held in position by a suitable adhesive or by tack-welding at selected points. The present invention, in the modified form thereof, contemplates the provision of a novel means whereby such a veneer may he more easily and effectively applied to a previously-erected column assembly or to the component parts of the assembly at the time of fabrication than has heretofore been possible in connection with conventional methods or veneer application.

The provision of a composite outer tubular shell of the character briefly outlined above being among the principal objects of the present invention, numerous other objects and advantages, not at this time enumerated, will become more readily apparent as the following description ensues.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, several illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an assembled fireproof building column assembly embodying the principles of the present invention and showing the same operatively installed in ,a building construction;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged end edge elevational view of one form of a corner strip that is employed in connection with the invention;

FIG. 4 is an end edge elevational view similar to FIG. 3: but showing a form of corner strip of diiferent dimensions;

FIG. 5 is an end edge elevational view of one of the wall plates that are employed in connection with the invention;

FIG, 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modified form of outer tubular shell and illustrating the manner in which certain decorative veneer strips are installed thereon; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure that is illustrated in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, a fireproof building column assembly that is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention has been designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and is shown as being operatively installed in a building construction including a floor 12, a concrete sub-floor 14, and a ceiling 16. The building column assembly 10 extends between the floor 12 and the ceiling 16 in the usual manner of installation of such as fireproof column assembly and includes a central or inner vertical load-bearing column 20 in the form of a tubular steel member which is preferably, but not necessarily, of rectangular cross section. The lower end of't'he column 2t) is supported upon a base plate 22 which may be secured to the sub-floor 14 in any suitable manher, as, for example, by means of anchor bolts 24 which are anchored in the concrete of the sub-floor. The upper end of the inner tubular column 20 may also be secured in position on the ceiling in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of an upper plate 25 which is secured by clamping bolts 26 to one of the building beams 27 above the ceiling. The manner in which the column 20 is anchored in position within the building construction forms no part of the present invention and the securing means illustrated'herein is purely exemplary of one of a number of different attaching means which may be employed in connection with the assembly 10. The interior of the tubular column 20 is filled with a suitable dense load-supporting concrete mix 28.

The present invention is concerned primarily with the construction of a composite outer steel shell 30 which surrounds the load-bearing column 20, is of a sectional nature, and is generally rectangular in cross section. This composite outer steel shell 30, together with a light-weight proprietary fireproofing material 32 which fills the space between the shell 30 and the column 20, completes the fireproof column assembly 10.

Referringnow additionally to FIGS. 4- and 5, the composite outer shell,30 of the present invention is comprised of four identical corner strips 4-0 and four intervening rectangular wall plates 42, Since the illustrated shell 30 is generally square in cross section, the four intervening rectangular wall plates 42 are of equal width and, therefore, identical. As will be pointed out in greater detail presently, the present invention contemplates the manufacture of the composite outer shell 30 in different rectangular shapes and sizes, but since theillustrated shell 30of-FIGS. 1 and 2 is square in cross section, for the immediate present, the description of the invention will be confined to such a square shell.v

Each cornerstrip 40 is in the form of anangle piece of right angle configuration andpresents diverging side wings 44. The outer edge of each sidewingterminates in one section of a folded, sliding,interlocking joint 46. The

other section of each interlocking .joint 46 is disposed attheiadjacent. vertical side edge of one ofthe wallplates 40.. No, novelty. ispredicatedherein upon the particular illustrated joints 46, such joints being commonly known as .stovepipe joints, or less frequently, as Pittsburgh joints. Briefly, the sections of the joints 46 onthe corner strips 40 ,each involves a laterallyinturned flange 48 (see FIG. 4),. and three rightangle flanges. 50, 52 and 54 in the order named, the three latter flanges forming a right angle hook' portion which-liesjust inwardly of the plane of the adjacent ,sidewing 44.,Thesections of. the joints 46 on the wall plates 42 each involves a laterally turned flange 56 (see FIG. and a reentrant fiange58. The flanges 56 and58, in combination with-thej body portions of the wall plates, form hook portions which interlock with the hook portions that are afforded by the flanges 50,52 and 54 of the corner strips40. When the joints 46 are assembled, the ,body portions of the wall plates v42 and the adjacent side wings 44 of thecorner strips 40 lie in the same vertical planes, and except for the seams thatare formed therebetween, present a substantially unbroken exterior appearance'.

Preferably, the corner strips 40 and the wall plates 42 are formed of the sameheavy gauge steel so that the various interlocking joints are extremely strong, and when the eight'parts which cooperate to make up the assembled outer shell 30 are interlocked in the manner described above, a highly rigid structure results. Assembly of the shell r30:-may be effected ina progressive manner by, first,

aligning adjacent sections of the joints 46 endwise, and then sliding the sections relatively to each other until coextensive mating thereof is effected. Preferably, but not necessarily, the joint sections'may be tack-welded at the top and bottom of the shell 30.

After the composite outer shell 30 has been assembled about the inner load-bearing column 20, suitable adjustable spacing devices such as have been illustrated at 51 are interposed between the shell 30 and the column 20 at appropriate places. The spacing devices 51 constitute no part of the present invention.

As previously stated, the corner strips 40 and the wall plates 42 maybe made in different Widths to accomodate different sizes and shapes of others shells. It is desirable that the over-all width of the side faces of the outer shells of industrial column assemblies may vary in small /2 inch increments, and by making the wall plates in widths which vary by one-inch-incr'ements, outer shells of many different sizes and shapes may be accommodated with parts which, in number, are only a small fraction of the required sizes and shapes. Specifically, by making two sizes of symmetrical corner strips, namely, strips having l /z-inch and l fit-inch width side wings, respectively, and one size of nonsymmetrical corner strip, namely, a strip such as has been shown at 60 in FIG. 3 and having side wings 62 and 64 which, exclusive of the joint sections, are l /z-inch and lA-inch wide, respectively; and by making the wall plates in widths which vary by full one-inch increments commencing with a width of two and one-half inches and ranging up to fourteen and one-half inches, practically all of the several hundred commercial sizes of building column shells may be accommodated.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, a modified form of fireproof building column assembly involving an outer shell of a decorative nature is shown. The basic structural features of the previously-described form of fireproof column assembly 10 remain essentially the same and, therefore, in order to avoid needless repetition of description, similar characters of reference but of a higher order have been applied to the corresponding parts as between the disclosures of FIGS. 2 and 6.

In the fireproof column assembly of FIG. 6, the central or inner load-bearing column 120, the load-supporting concrete filling 128, and the fireproofing material 132 remain substantially the same as in the column assembly 10, as do also the basic structural elements of the composite outer shell including the corner strips and the wall plates 142. The same type of interlocking joints 146 is maintained between the adjacent corne strips and the wall plates.

To provide a'decorative eifect,the wall plates 142 are completely covered and concealed by-rectangular decorative panels whichalso cover and conceal the visible vertical seams that are afforded by the joints 146. In order to retain the decorative panels 170 in position on the baseshell 13% intermediate angle strips 172 and outside angle strips 174 are welded in position so as'to cover and conceal the side wings 144 of the corner strips 140. The side wings 176 of the intermediate angle strips 172' are of less width than are the side wings 178 of the outside angle strips 174 and, thus, the-side wings 178 overhang the sidewings 176 and establish, in combination with-theside' wings 144 of the corner strips 140, relatively deep and narrow retaining grooves 180 for reception of the side edge regions of the decorative panels 170. When the decorative panels 170 are operatively positioned on the erected composite outer shell 130, the same lie flush against the wall plates 142, overhang the seams that are afforded by the joints 146, and have their edge regions projecting partially, but not fully, into the retaining grooves 180.

The width of the decorative panels 170 is slightly and slightly less than the distance between the outer vertical edges 182 of the side wings 176 of the intermediate angle strips 172. Thus, the principal parts of the shell 130 may initially be erected in position about the load-bearing column 120 and, thereafter, each decorative panel 170 may be put into place by first inserting one side edge thereof into the adjacent or associated grooves 183 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6, after which such side edge may be bottomed in the adjacent groove and the other side edge may then be caused to clear the adjacent side edge of the adjacent side wing 178 and moved into the plane of the two opposed adjacent grooves 180. Finally, each panel 170 may then he slid edgewise a slight distance until both side edges thereof are captured within the two opposed grooves 180 as shown in full lines in FIG. 6. To hold the decorative panels 170 in their final position against the adjacent wall plates 140, a mastic or other adhesive film may be applied to the inside faces of the panel in the manufacture thereof and covered by a protective and removable sheet of paper, the latter being removed at the time of panel installation.

Various forms of decorative panels 170 are contemplated for application to the outer shell 130. Such panels are available from light gauge sheet metal stock including stainless steel, baked enamel-coated steel, etched or hammered aluminum, and a Wide variety of other stock materials too numerous to mention. Irrespective of the particular stock material that is employed in the construction of the decorative panels 170, the essential features of the invention are at all times preserved.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rectangular fireproof building column assembly, a composite eight-piece, floor-to-ceiling outer column shell adapted to enclose a mass of fireproofing material and comprising four identical corner strips and four intervening wall plates, said corner strips and wall plates being formed of sheet metal of uniform thickness, each corner strip being in the form of a vertically extending angle piece of right angle configuration and presenting diverging side wings, each wall plate being of fiat rectangular configuration, each corner strip having a side wing coplanar with a side wing of an adjacent corner strip, each Wall plate being interposed in coplanar relationship between the coplanar side wings of the adjacent corner strips, the adjacent vertical edges of the side wings and wall plates being formed with integral slidably and closely interlocked inwardly and laterally offset first and second hook portions respectively by means of which such side wings and wall plates are maintained in contiguity, the first hook portion on each vertical edge of each wall plate consisting of a lateral section and a reentrant section spaced from the plane of the wall plate a distance equal to the thickness of the sheet metal, the cooperating second hook portions on each vertical side edge of each corner strip consisting of a first lateral section, an inwardly offset section, a second lateral section, and a re-entrant section spaced from the inwardly offset section a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the sheet metal, said second hook portion thus defining an L-shaped slot which slidingly receives the first hook portion with the inwardly ofiset section and the reentrant hook portion thereof embracing the opposite sides of the re-entrant portion of the first hook portion in substantially contiguous face-to-face relationship, the transverse dimension of each pair of interlocking hook portions being equal to four thicknesses of sheet metal.

2. In a rectangular fireproof building column assembly, a composite eight-piece, fioor-to-ceiling outer column shell adapted to enclose a mass of fireproofing material and comprising four identical corner strips and four intervening wall plates, each corner strip being in the form of a vertically extending angle piece of right angle configuration and presenting diverging side wings, each wall plate being of flat rectangular configuration, each corner strip having a side wing coplanar with a side'wing of an adjacent corner strip, each wall plate being interposed in coplanar relationship between the coplanar side wings of the adjacent corner strips, a folded interlocking joint between each corner strip and each adjacent wall plate and including cooperating and interlocking joint sections integrally formed on the corner strips and wall plates respectively, an outside angle piece overlying and secured to each corner strip andsubstantially coextensive therewith and, defining a pair of relatively deep panel-receiving grooves, said grooves opposing one another in pairs on each of the four sides of the rectangular column shell, and a flat rectangular decorative panel overlying and concealing each wall plate coextensively and having its vertical side edges received in the adjacent opposed grooves.

3. A composite outer column shell as set forth in claim 2 and including, additionally, an adhesive interposed between each panel and the wall plate which it overlies.

4. A composite outer column shell as set forth in claim 2 and wherein the width of each decorative panel is greater than the distance between the opposed vertical edges of the adjacent corner strips and is slightly less than such distance plus the depth of one of the grooves, whereby the panels are capable of installation in the grooves by edgewise insertion thereinto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,607,905 11/1926 Mayer 52276 1,697,189 1/ 1929 Kirk 52278 1,925,417 9/1933 Swank 52284 1,925,418 9/1933 Swank 52285 2,051,016 8/1936 Rafter 52724 2,126,499 8/1938 Petersen 287--189.36 2,143,288 1/1939 Stolz 52423 X 2,396,257 3/ 1946 Fould 52278 X 3,145,811 8/1964 Streham ea al. 52725 X FOREIGN PATENTS 537,658 1/1956 Italy.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O, WARNECKE, R, A. STENZEL,

Assistant Examiners, 

1. IN A RECTANGULAR FIREPROOF BUILDING COLUMN ASSEMBLY, A COMPOSITE EIGHT-PIECE, FLOOR-TO-CEILING OUTER COLUMN SHELL ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE A MASS OF FIREPROOFING MATERIAL AND COMPRISING FOUR IDENTICAL CORNER STRIPS AND FOUR INTERVENING WALL PLATES, SAID CORNER STRIPS AND WALL PLATES BEING FORMED OF SHEET METAL OF UNIFORM THICKNESS, EACH CORNER STRIP BEING IN THE FORM OF A VERTICALLY EXTENDING ANGLE PIECE OF RIGHT ANGLE CONFIGURATION AND PRESENTING DIVERGING SIDE WINGS, EACH WALL PLATE BEING OF FLAT RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION, EACH CORNER STRIP HAVING A SIDE WING COPLANAR WITH A SIDE WING OF AN ADJACENT CORNER STRIP, EACH WALL PLATE BEING INTERPOSED IN COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COPLANAR SIDE WINGS OF THE ADJACENT CORNER STRIPS, THE ADJACENT VERTICAL EDGES OF THE SIDE WINGS AND WALL PLATES BEING FORMED WITH INTEGRALLY SLIDABLY AND CLOSELY INTERLOCKED INWARDLY AND LATERALLY OFFSET FIRST AND SECOND HOOK PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY BY MEANS OF WHICH SUCH SIDE WINGS AND WALL PLATES ARE MAINTAINED IN CONTIGUITY, THE FIRST HOOK PORTION ON EACH VERTICAL EDGE OF EACH WALL PLATE CONSISTING OF A LATERAL SECTION AND A REENTRANT SECTION SPACED FROM THE PLANE OF THE WALL PLATE A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF THE SHEET METAL, THE COOPERATING SECOND HOOK PORTIONS ON EACH VERTICAL SIDE EDGE OF EACH CORNER STRIP CONSISTING OF A FIRST LATERAL SECTION, AN INWARDLY OFFSET SECTION, A SECOND LATERAL SECTION, AND A RE-ENTRANT SECTION SPACED FROM THE INWARDLY OFFSET SECTION A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF THE SHEET METAL, SAID SECOND HOOK PORTION THUS DEFINING AN L-SHAPED SLOT WHICH SLIDINGLY RECEIVES THE FIRST HOOK PORTION WITH THE INWARDLY OFFSET SECTION AND THE REENTRANT HOOK PORTION THEREOF EMBRACING THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE RE-ENTRANT PORTION OF THE FIRST HOOK PORTION IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTIGUOUS FACE-TO-FACE RELATIONSHIP, THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSION OF EACH PAIR OF INTERLOCKING HOOK PORTIONS BEING EQUAL TO FOUR THICKNESS OF SHEET METAL. 